1. A more or less elongated mark raised by a stroke; also, a similar
mark made by any cause; a weal; a wale.
2. Specifically (Med.), a flat, burning or itching eminence on the
skin, such as is produced by a mosquito bite, or in urticaria.
Wheal, n. [Cornish hwel.] (Mining) A mine.
Wheal"worm` (?), n. (Zoöl.) The harvest mite; — so called from the
wheals, caused by its bite.
Wheat (hwt), n. [OE. whete, AS. hwte; akin to OS. hwti, D. weit, G.
weizen, OHG. weizzi, Icel. hveiti, Sw. hvete, Dan. hvede, Goth.
hwaiteis, and E. white. See White.] (Bot.) A cereal grass (Triticum
vulgare) and its grain, which furnishes a white flour for bread, and,
next to rice, is the grain most largely used by the human race.
Of this grain the varieties are numerous, as red wheat, white wheat,
bald wheat, bearded wheat, winter wheat, summer wheat, and the like.
Wheat is not known to exist as a wild native plant, and all statements
as to its origin are either incorrect or at best only guesses.
Buck wheat. (Bot.) See Buckwheat. — German wheat. (Bot.) See 2d Spelt.
— Guinea wheat (Bot.), a name for Indian corn. — Indian wheat, or
Tartary wheat (Bot.), a grain (Fagopyrum Tartaricum) much like
buckwheat, but only half as large. — Turkey wheat (Bot.), a name for
Indian corn. — Wheat aphid, or Wheat aphis (Zoöl.), any one of several
species of Aphis and allied genera, which suck the sap of growing
wheat. — Wheat beetle. (Zoöl.) (a) A small, slender, rusty brown beetle
(Sylvanus Surinamensis) whose larvæ feed upon wheat, rice, and other
grains. (b) A very small, reddish brown, oval beetle (Anobium paniceum)
whose larvæ eat the interior of grains of wheat. — Wheat duck (Zoöl.),
the American widgeon. [Western U. S.] — Wheat fly. (Zoöl.) Same as
Wheat midge, below. — Wheat grass (Bot.), a kind of grass (Agropyrum
caninum) somewhat resembling wheat. It grows in the northern parts of
Europe and America. — Wheat jointworm. (Zoöl.) See Jointworm. — Wheat
louse (Zoöl.), any wheat aphid. — Wheat maggot (Zoöl.), the larva of a
wheat midge. — Wheat midge. (Zoöl.) (a) A small two-winged fly
(Diplosis tritici) which is very destructive to growing wheat, both in
Europe and America. The female lays her eggs in the flowers of wheat,
and the larvæ suck the juice of the young kernels and when full grown
change to pupæ in the earth. (b) The Hessian fly. See under Hessian. —
Wheat moth (Zoöl.), any moth whose larvæ devour the grains of wheat,
chiefly after it is harvested; a grain moth. See Angoumois Moth, also
Grain moth, under Grain. — Wheat thief (Bot.), gromwell; — so called
because it is a troublesome weed in wheat fields. See Gromwell. — Wheat
thrips (Zoöl.), a small brown thrips (Thrips cerealium) which is very
injurious to the grains of growing wheat. — Wheat weevil. (Zoöl.) (a)
The grain weevil. (b) The rice weevil when found in wheat.
Wheat"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A bird that feeds on wheat, especially the
chaffinch.
Wheat"ear` (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small European singing bird (Saxicola
œnanthe). The male is white beneath, bluish gray above, with black
wings and a black stripe through each eye. The tail is black at the tip
and in the middle, but white at the base and on each side. Called also
checkbird, chickell, dykehopper, fallow chat, fallow finch, stonechat,
and whitetail.
Wheat"en (?), a. [AS. hwæten.] Made of wheat; as, wheaten bread.
Cowper.